AIR STATION CONVERSION SOUGHT

Maine’s Brunswick Naval Air Station is scheduled to close in May next year, but the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority is seeking to turn it into a business aviation airfield. The authority has filed a master plan for the conversion with the FAA and the U.S. Navy and hopes to receive a response by May. Takeover approvals are expected this summer, followed by an environmental impact survey.

To assist in initial funding needed for the conversion, the authority will request the FAA place the facility in its Military Airport Plan and will work with the state’s DOT for a line of credit. The authority, which is hoping to convince the Navy to leave its ILS, told AIN that it has selected FlightLevel Aviation to be the FBO. The authority also plans to have a business aviation expo showcasing the former base’s capabilities as a maintenance facility. The expo will be staged in conjunction with an airshow, scheduled for Aug. 27-28, 2011.